Copyright & takedowns
Last updated
Creators: don't want to be on BrighterTube?
That's completely fine, and you don't need a legal notice. Send a creator removal request with:
- a link to your channel, or to the specific videos you want removed;
- whether you want the whole channel removed or just those videos;
- an email address we can reply to.
Your request goes straight onto the editor's review list. We may ask for a simple check that you run the channel (for example, a reply from the email address listed on it). Once confirmed, the videos come off BrighterTube and stay off. You can also switch off embedding for a video in YouTube Studio, which takes it off BrighterTube and every other site that embeds it.
Copyright notices (DMCA)
BrighterTube respects copyright and responds to notices under the US Digital Millennium Copyright Act (17 U.S.C. § 512). If you believe something on BrighterTube infringes your copyright (our own pages, text or images, or a listing that points to an infringing video), send a written notice containing:
- your physical or electronic signature (typing your full name works), as the copyright owner or someone authorized to act for them;
- the copyrighted work you believe is infringed;
- the material on BrighterTube you want removed, with its BrighterTube link (for example
/watch/…) so we can find it; - your name, mailing address, phone number and email address;
- a statement that you have a good-faith belief that the use isn't authorized by the copyright owner, its agent or the law;
- a statement that the information in the notice is accurate and, under penalty of perjury, that you are the owner or authorized to act on the owner's behalf.
Where to send it
- Online (fastest): the contact form, topic “Copyright”. It puts the notice on the editor's review list right away.
- By post: to BrighterTube's designated copyright agent, BrighterTube (operated by Josh). A mailing address for notices will be listed here; until then, please use the form, which reaches the same person.
When we get a valid notice, we remove or disable the listing promptly and, where we can, let the person who submitted it (if anyone did) know. If the video itself is on YouTube, the most complete fix is YouTube's own copyright complaint process, since that removes it everywhere, including BrighterTube.
Counter-notices
If something you submitted was removed and you believe that was a mistake or misidentification, you can send a counter-notice with: your signature; the material that was removed and where it appeared; a statement under penalty of perjury that you have a good-faith belief it was removed by mistake or misidentification; your name, address and phone number; and a statement that you consent to the jurisdiction of the federal district court for your address (or, outside the US, any district where BrighterTube may be found) and will accept service from the person who sent the original notice. Send it the same way as a notice.
Repeat infringers
We close the accounts of people who repeatedly infringe others' copyrights, where appropriate.
Please be accurate
Under 17 U.S.C. § 512(f), anyone who knowingly misrepresents that material is infringing, or that it was removed by mistake, can be liable for damages. If you're not sure whether something infringes, consider getting legal advice first. The US Copyright Office has a plain guide to section 512.